“Ezio?” Leonardo turned the corner, caught sight of him and smiled, visibly relieved to see him. By his eyes the skin creased, around his nostrils the nasal crease steepened and his lips gave way to rows of teeth in a smile. He walked further into the room, arms opening in an invitation
“Leonardo.” He straightened up, dusted off his palm on his breeches and smiled in return, meeting the inventor partway in an embrace. His clothes, still cold from the lingering air of the tunnels, chilled Ezio's skin through his thin shirt, but the warmth of Leonardo's breath assured him that yes, his friend truly was here, and yes, he would be wasting their time if he were not to confess.
They drew back, hands clinging to forearm's for moments after the embrace before falling away.
“I hope that you did not have too much trouble getting here. Your followers, you lost them?” Ezio moved back towards the benches and table, taking up a glass of wine and offering it to Leonardo, who accepted it gratefully.
“It was a little difficult. The women I hired to distract them were very clingy, Ezio. I had not quite realised that they would expect that I was buying them for the traditional reason instead of some daring escape.” He took a sip of wine before sitting across from Ezio and smiling almost expectantly.
“I suppose that they may be a little much at times. I am sorry, I did not think it through.” He took his place, leaving his wine to one side. “I had made the assumption that you would know how to fend them off, should they take to you.”
“It is quite all right. I merely do not deal with women often. And when I do it is only for them to sit patiently for hours on end, a canvas between us.”
An opening!
“You have not had relations with a woman?” He grasped at it and attempted to finger it open delicately. There was a clack as the wine glass was placed back down on the wooden table. Leonardo's mouth opened and closed a couple of times with no sound. He turned red.
“Please, my friend, let us not talk of such trivial things,” He said at last. “There must be something important for you to ask me to come here.” The opening slipped away from his hands, the room behind still a mystery.
For a moment Ezio considered telling him no; there was no reason for Leonardo to have risked the journey here for anything other than a chat and a glass or two of wine. Ezio merely wished for his company during times of great hardship. He only wished to hear him talk about his current life; to hear him spill out his theories and thoughts as he was so often wont to do in Ezio's company. He took a drink of wine to stall his answer. Any traces of Leonardo's smile disappeared as he gauged the conversation to be one of grave importance. Ezio laughed bitterly into his cup. After all, it was important.
“Do not look so serious, Leonardo. I should hope that what I have to tell you is not so grave. I do so enjoy seeing you smile.”
Leonardo flushed again, twisted and knotted his fingers, attempted to coax a smile to his lips. “Please do not leave me in the dark any longer. I lost sleep last night over what could possibly be of such importance for you to invite me here. I do not wish to do so again; to lie awake at night is torture.”
Ezio felt a guilt sink into the flesh of his stomach. All of a sudden this was a serious conversation with gravity; repercussions. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, grinding his fingers into his cheeks. “Leonardo...”
A pause, the sound of flames from candles flickering.
Re: FILL [4.b/5]
“Leonardo.” He straightened up, dusted off his palm on his breeches and smiled in return, meeting the inventor partway in an embrace. His clothes, still cold from the lingering air of the tunnels, chilled Ezio's skin through his thin shirt, but the warmth of Leonardo's breath assured him that yes, his friend truly was here, and yes, he would be wasting their time if he were not to confess.
They drew back, hands clinging to forearm's for moments after the embrace before falling away.
“I hope that you did not have too much trouble getting here. Your followers, you lost them?” Ezio moved back towards the benches and table, taking up a glass of wine and offering it to Leonardo, who accepted it gratefully.
“It was a little difficult. The women I hired to distract them were very clingy, Ezio. I had not quite realised that they would expect that I was buying them for the traditional reason instead of some daring escape.” He took a sip of wine before sitting across from Ezio and smiling almost expectantly.
“I suppose that they may be a little much at times. I am sorry, I did not think it through.” He took his place, leaving his wine to one side. “I had made the assumption that you would know how to fend them off, should they take to you.”
“It is quite all right. I merely do not deal with women often. And when I do it is only for them to sit patiently for hours on end, a canvas between us.”
An opening!
“You have not had relations with a woman?” He grasped at it and attempted to finger it open delicately. There was a clack as the wine glass was placed back down on the wooden table. Leonardo's mouth opened and closed a couple of times with no sound. He turned red.
“Please, my friend, let us not talk of such trivial things,” He said at last. “There must be something important for you to ask me to come here.” The opening slipped away from his hands, the room behind still a mystery.
For a moment Ezio considered telling him no; there was no reason for Leonardo to have risked the journey here for anything other than a chat and a glass or two of wine. Ezio merely wished for his company during times of great hardship. He only wished to hear him talk about his current life; to hear him spill out his theories and thoughts as he was so often wont to do in Ezio's company. He took a drink of wine to stall his answer. Any traces of Leonardo's smile disappeared as he gauged the conversation to be one of grave importance. Ezio laughed bitterly into his cup. After all, it was important.
“Do not look so serious, Leonardo. I should hope that what I have to tell you is not so grave. I do so enjoy seeing you smile.”
Leonardo flushed again, twisted and knotted his fingers, attempted to coax a smile to his lips. “Please do not leave me in the dark any longer. I lost sleep last night over what could possibly be of such importance for you to invite me here. I do not wish to do so again; to lie awake at night is torture.”
Ezio felt a guilt sink into the flesh of his stomach. All of a sudden this was a serious conversation with gravity; repercussions. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, grinding his fingers into his cheeks. “Leonardo...”
A pause, the sound of flames from candles flickering.
“It is not easy to say...”